Candle extinguisher (snuffer cap)
A candle extinguisher uses a metal cap placed over a burning candle's flame to extinguish it. The Norwegian dictionary NAOB describes a conical cap. This article concerns the object, rather than the Norwegian word's historical occupational or figurative meanings.
Distinguishing wick scissors
The cap covers the flame. Wick scissors instead cut the wick and often include a small receptacle for the clipped end. These tools may belong to the same setting or accessory group, but their functions differ. Scissors should not be catalogued as a snuffer cap merely because they accompanied candlesticks.
Examining an older example
Check cap shape, stem or grip, joints and decoration. Record wear, repairs and legible marks. Metal colour alone establishes neither alloy nor fineness. Where a matching set is claimed, compare dimensions, workmanship and documented provenance. Soot and a dark surface alone cannot date the tool.
